


The Light Of My Heart

by Katniss239



Category: Fire - Kristin Cashore, The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Comfort, Exile, Grief, Hate, Human Monsters, Hurt, Love, Loyalty, Multi, Past Abuse, Protective Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-21
Updated: 2014-12-30
Packaged: 2017-12-30 01:12:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1012249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katniss239/pseuds/Katniss239
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ziema and her little sister Jua escaped from the Dells when they were both little girls, to Middle Earth, where monsters do not exist. The dwarves are immediately entranced by the two girls, especially the two young princes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Away, away

The sun was just at it's highest point over the Shire. Each gusting breeze made the grass roll like waves across the hills. The branches clattered together in the breeze and the leaves whispered their own strange words to one another.

The sun glowed like a great golden amber that had been dug from the earth..

The valley was filled with the merry songs and chatter and laughter of the hobbits going about their daily lives.

It was around this time that Bilbo was making his way home after one of his daily walks.

As he made his way along the trail of East Farthing Woods that would lead him back onto the main road, he stopped when he heard a small whimper. Looking around, he froze when he saw a bush shudder.

Walking slowly over to it, Bilbo crouched and lifted up the branches. He was not prepared for what he found.

Two little girls.

They were dressed in little more than thin underdresses.

Both were absolutely filthy, with tear streaks running down their dirty faces.

One of them-the older, Bilbo guessed-had smooth, pale skin and gray blue eyes that shimmered like two little pools of water. Her long hair rippled in patterns of white, gray, and a very, very pale blue.

The younger had smooth, golden-tanned skin, and eyes like molten gold. Her hair looked like someone had placed the light of the sun in it. It was a mixture of white and a dozen different shades of yellow, gold and orange. There were even a few streaks of red.

At the sight of them, Bilbo couldn't help but stare. He thought he had never seen two more beautiful children in all his life.

"Hey." He said gently. "What are you doing out here all by yourself?"

"We..." the little pale girl replied. "We don't know."

It was just then that the golden girl gave a spectacular sneeze.

Bilbo reached forward and felt each of their foreheads. "Oh my!" he exclaimed. "You're burning up, both of you! Why don't you come along with me? Hm? I can take care of you." There were a few moments in which the two little girls looked at each other.

Finally, the pale girl nodded.

Bilbo held up the bush for them as they both crawled out.

Taking one girl under each arm, Bilbo led them on down the road to Hobbiton and Bag End. At least they stopped shivering when Bilbo got them up to his house. Bilbo led them on into the sitting room where he wrapped them in several layers of blankets and proceeded to make them each a cup of herbal tea.

When he came back, he found that the two girls had wrapped their blanket layers over both of them to create a warm little cave. Just as any little girls would, they were giggling, probably imagining they were some great explorers and they were hiding in a cave.

Bilbo handed them the tea and took a seat beside them.

"Could you tell me your names?" Bilbo asked. The golden girl didn't answer, only snuggled further into her sister, but the pale girl said. "I'm Ziema, and this is my baby sister, Jua."

"Do you have any family, Ziema?" Bilbo asked, since Jua seemed a little too reluctant to talk.

At this, Ziema's blue-gray eyes went wide. She opened her mouth to answer, but Jua beat her to it.

"Daddy was mean to us. Daddy beat us. Daddy beat mummy. Bad people take mummy away. We run away." the little girl looked as if she was barely holding back tears.

"Oh, you poor dears!" exclaimed Bilbo.

As Bilbo watched the two girls snuggle close to each other, he thought that he had never seen a sadder picture in all his life. Two orphaned girls, a cruel man for a father, their mother abducted, forced to run for their lives.

After a few minutes of silence, Bilbo asked. "How would you like to stay here with me?"

Both of them looked up at his suggestion. "You could live here, with me." Bilbo continued. "Would you like that? To play with other children? To be able to run and play for as long as you like?"

"Could we?" Ziema asked. Bilbo nodded, and felt his heart swell when the two little girls beamed brightly at him and nodded their heads vigorously.

"Why don't we get you cleaned up and then we'll find you something more to wear?" Bilbo suggested.

Jua's sneeze was all the answer he ndded.

Holding out his hands for the girls to take, he led them down the hallway to the bathroom, where he filled the bonze tub with hot water and scented oils. The girls were delighted in getting clean. So much that Bilbo could hardly hold them still enough to wash them. But, after quite a lot of splashing, he managed to get them both clean and dry. He went scouring in his closets for something the girls could wear, and found nothing of the sort.

All of the clothes he had on hand were too big.

He made a mental note to go down to the marketplace with them after they were feeling better.

When he came back into the sitting room, he found the girls curled up in a snug little pile beneath the blankets. He couldn't resist aweing softly. Carefully picking them both up so as not to wake them, he carried them to one of the spare bedrooms and settled them down on the bed.

He kissed each one of them on the forehead and whisper. "Sleep well."

He cast one last look at the two sleeping little girls before he walked out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.


	2. Two and Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gandalf comes to Bilbo's doorstep. The dwarves arrive for Bilbo's party.

_Ziema's P.O.V_

Jua and I have now lived with Bilbo Baggins for nine years. I have never felt so content, and i'm sure Jua feels the same way. Now, don't get me wrong, I know what we are. I've always known what we are even if Jua was too young to comprehend it at the time.

We are monsters. But being with Bilbo allows us to forget all of that.

It allows us to be something else.

Both of us have become quite skilled with the fiddle. We sing beautifully and are naturally gifted riders. Yes, this has been true happiness for us. Bilbo adopted us into his family. He has been a real father to us, something Santon never was. Bilbo is kind to us. Bilbo played with us when we were little. Bilbo looks out for us. Santon never did any of this. If I never see him again, it'll be too soon.

I have taken personal measures in making sure that both Jua and myself learn how to protect ourselves. It doesn't matter if we're not in the Dells anymore; there will still be men who wish to claim us, and I want us both to be able to protect ourselves.

By now, both of us have become masters with a bow and a sword.

Bilbo doesn't quite agree to this, but he keeps quiet after I voice my objections. Today, both of us are practicing our fiddles on the front porch with Bilbo merrily smoking his pipe. Jua seems determined to make me break a string, she's playing so fast.

When she stops playing, I look around to see what made her stop. It's a very tall old man heading this way. He's dressed in gray robes, with a silver scarf around his neck and a tall, pointy blue hat. His beard is so long, it reaches down to his belt, and he's gripping a tall, wooden staff in his hands. When he catches sight of the two of us, his eyes go wide, but he doesn't say anything.

Bilbo has his eyes closed in bliss, so he doesn't see the old man.

Jua and I watch as, when the old man walks by, Bilbo's smoke ring changes into a smoky butterfly. It lands on Bilbo's nose, making him sputter and open his eyes. "Good morning." He says after a few moments.

"What do you mean?" the old man asks. "Do you mean to wish me a good morning, or do you mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not?" Jua and I exchange confused looks at his words. We see Bilbo is just as confused. "Or perhaps you'd say that you fell good on this particular morning. Or are you simply stating that this is a morning to be good on?" The elder continues.

"All of them at once, I suppose." Bilbo replies.

The old man then makes a dissaproving sound, making poor Bilbo even more confused.

"Can I help you?" He asks.

"That remains to be seen." says the old man. "I am looking for someone to share in an adventure."

"A-an adventure?" Bilbo exclaims. "No, I don't imagine anyone west of Bree would have much interest in adventures. Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things. Make you late for dinner." As he talks, he gets up and takes the mail from his mail box. He mutters something as he looks through the pile, then slaps the pile together and says "Good morning." before he walks up the steps to his front door.

"To think that I should have lived to be 'good morning-ed' by Belladonna Took's son, as if I were selling buttons at the door." the old man says in a heated tone. Bilbo stops at this and says. "I beg your pardon?"

"You've changed," says the elder, "and not entirely for the better, Bilbo Baggins."

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Bilbo asks.

"Well, you know my name, although you don't remember I belong to it. I'm Gandalf! And Gandalf means.....me!" says the old man.

"Gandalf..." exclaims Bilbo. "Not Gandalf, the wandering wizard who made such _excellent_ fireworks! Old Took used to have them on Midsummer's Eve! I had no idea you were still in business."

"And where else should I be?" Gandalf asks.

Bilbo makes a few disgruntled noises, pointing here and there with his pipe, before he sticks it back in his mouth and blows a few puffs of smoke.

"Well, i'm pleased to find you remember something about me," Gandalf says, "even if it's only my fireworks. Well, that's decided; it'll be very good for you, and most amusing for me. I shall inform the others."

"Inform the who-? No, no, wait!" exclaims Bilbo, making gestures with his hands to emphasize his words. " _We_ do not want _any_ adventures _here_ , thank you. Not today, not-I suggest you try...over The Hill or...across The Water." With a final 'good morning', he dissapears inside the hobbit hole, shutting the door behind him. I roll my eyes. Sometimes, Bilbo really needs to get more of a backbone.

"My warmest of greetings to you, fair ladies." Gandalf says to us. "I shall see you both tonight." My eyes go wide. Now he's trying to include us in his scheme. Before I can say anything to him though, he dissapears down the road.

I roll my eyes and say. "Come on, Jua." I lead my sister back into the house without a single pause.

 

 

 

 

It's late at night. While I help Bilbo with dinner, Jua is still practicing with her fiddle. Her beautiful playing is echoing throughout the whole house. "Jua! Come along! It's time to eat!" I call to her.

A yell of 'coming!' is my response.

Sure enough, it doesn't take her long to come jogging down the hall.

As we take our places around the table, the doorbell rings.

When we stand up to answer it, Bilbo says. "No, no, don't trouble yourselves. I'll get it."

We sit back down and start eating as Bilbo goes to answer the door, though I can't help eavesdropping a little.

"Dwalin, at your service." says a deep, grating voice.

"Uh, Bilbo Baggins, at yours. Uh, do we know each other?" There's the sound of heavy footsteps as this Dwalin person comes in, and says. "No." he says it as if it's the most stupid question he's ever heard. "Which way, laddie? Is it down here?"

"I-is what down where?" Bilbo stutters.

"Supper." Dwalin replies. "He said there'd be food, and lots of it."

The deep footsteps are coming closer now, and we both look up as Dwalin enters the dining room. He's massive-at least, massive to us-with broad, sloping shoulders and a thick, sturdy build. His several layers of wool, leather, and armor make him almost as wide as the doorframe. He has a forked beard and a bald head that's lined with tatooes. A small gasp escapes him when he catches sight of us.

We're used to that effect by now.

It's only a couple of moments before he bows and says. "Dwalin, at your service, my ladies."

The two of us are so surprised that we don't say anything.

The three of us watch as Dwalin takes Bilbo's seat and swiftly devours the dinner that Bilbo and I made.

After he's bitten the heads off the fish, he says. "Very good this. Anymore?"

"What? Oh, uh, yes, yes." Bilbo says. He picks up a plate of biscuits and, after hiding one behind his back, sets the plate in front of Dwalin. "Help yourself." Dwalin doesn't need to be told twice. As Dwalin stuffs his face with biscuits, Bilbo says. "It's just that um...I wasn't expecting any more company."

It's then that the doorbell rings again.

"That'll be the door." Dwalin says with a wink.

"I'll get it for you, Bilbo." Jua offers. She's gone down the hall without another word.

I listen in very carefully, as it's my little sister involved this time.

"Balin, at your service, fair lady." says an old, cracked voice.

"Good evening." Jua responds.

"Yes, yes it is." says Balin, and footsteps announce that he's come in too.

A loud bellow of laughter makes me, Bilbo and Dwalin look around, and I'm now able to put a face to the name Balin. He's an old dwarf with a beak-like nose, a long white beard, and is dressed in scarlet robes.

"Evening, brother." Balin says as he steps up to Dwalin.

"Ho ho!" exclaims Dwalin. "By my beard, you're shorter and wider than last we met!"

"Wider, not shorter." Balin counters. "Sharp enough for both of us."

The brothers laugh and place their hands on each others shoulders in a display of brotherly affection. I find it rather endearing, untill they whack their heads together with a hollow _klunk!_

Both Jua and I flinch at the sound. The brothers continue on as if nothing happened. Bilbo is trying in vain to get them to listen to him as the two of them go to the pantry and starting scouring for food. "The thing is, I-I don't know either of you, not in the slightest." They don't respond, and I jump out of the way as a chunk of blue cheese goes flying past.

Bilbo turns to us with an exsasperated expression. "It's like i'm talking to a brick wall!" he exclaims.

"They just don't seem to want to listen to you." Jua tells him.

"Well, I won't have it!" Bilbo declares heatedly, and turns back to the brothers. "The-the thing is, I-I don't know either of you, not in the slightest....I-uh, I don't mean to be blunt, but I uh, but I have to speak my mind. I'm sorry." That makes both brothers stop and turn, and Bilbo clears his throat to indicate he's waiting for them to respond.

"Apology accepted." Balin says.

It's then that the doorbell rings for a third time.

"Come on, Jua." I say to my sister, and tell Bilbo. "We'll handle this one for you Bilbo."

Bilbo nodds his thanks as we go off down the hall.

Jua and I open the door to find not one, but two dwarves standing on the doorstep. The one on the left has long, beautifully blonde hair that's done in an intricate braiding style. He's even got braids in the mustache of his goatee. His sky-blue eyes are friendly and clever. The one on the right has a thick mane of sable hair that falls down past his shoulders, and a dark stubble lining his jaw and upper lip.

His wide, chocolate eyes are curious and mischevious. There's a small gasp from the two of them when they see us. No doubt we must look quite strange to them. Their eyes are as wide as saucers as they look us over.

"Fili." says the blonde.

"And Kili." adds the brunette.

"At your service." they both say in unison, bowing together and smiling broadly at us. I narrow my eyes at them. "And just what can we help you with?" I ask.

"Oh, lots of things-" Kili starts. Fili slaps his hand over his little brother's mouth and says cheerily. "You must be Mr. Baggins' daughters!"

"And you two are uninvited guests who can just turn around right now, and leave!" I spit back and move to close the door on them. Kili puts his foot in the door to stop me and thusts his shoulder against it, causing both me and Jua to stumble backwards.

"What?" exclaims Kili as the door opens again. "Has it been canceled?"

"No one told us." Fili adds.

"W-what's been canceled? Nothing's been canceled." Jua says, and I do a mental facepalm.

"Well, that's a relief." Kili exclaims happily. He pushes the door open, sending us both stumbling backwards as the brothers trapse in like they have every right to. While Kili dumps his things into Jua's arms, Fili dumps his things into mine, and says. "Careful with these. I just had 'em sharpened. I don't want such a pretty face to get such an ugly scar." he makes to grasp my chin between his thumb and forefinger, but I flinch away in time.

I don't notice Bilbo untill Kili asks if he did the Hobbit Hole himself or not.

"Uh, no it's been in the family for years-that's my mother's glory box! can you please not do that!" Bilbo says, adding the last bit when he sees Kili scraping the mud from his boots on the large, oakwood box.

"Fili! Kili!" barks Dwalin. "Come on! Give us a hand!" Dwalin takes the sable-haired boy beneath his arm and leads him off with Fili following close behind. With a smirk of annoyance, I dump Fili's swords and rather impressive number of knives on the floor near the fireplace, and upturn my sister's arms to Kili's bow, quiver, and sword are added to the pile.

There's the scraping of furniture being moved about, and the doorbell rings for a fourth time. We both come up to the door as Bilbo comes stomping angrily down the hall, shouting. "There's nobody home! Go away, and bother somebody else! There's far too many dwarves in my dining room as it is! I-if this is some clot-head's idea of a joke, haha! I can only say, it is in _very poor taste!_ "

Bilbo grabs the door handle and jerks it open, and in fall nine more dwarves in a grumbling, squirming pile.

Behind them stands a tall and familiar figure, and all three of us sigh in unison. "Gandalf."


	3. Radiant as the Sun

_Jua's P.O.V_

 

 

Ziema has always told me to keep our true identity a secret.

She's always told me we need to be descrete here.

There have been a few boys in the past, but it's never really turned into anything.

I never would have expected to find the man of my dreams tonight.

That's why i'm so surprised when Kili suddenly takes my hand and pulls me to a stop. "Your name." He says.

"What?" I ask him.

"What's your name?" He asks me. I hesitate a moment before I reply. "Jua."

"Jua...." Kili whispers, as if rolling the name around in his mouth. "Where are you from Jua?" I look down at the floor and don't answer him. I give a small squeak when he suddenly pulls my close, so close that his lips are only a hair's width from mine. "I feel like..." Kili whispers. "I feel like I....Mahal....you're so beautiful...I...I can't help but...but want to..." Without waiting a moment longer, he crushes his lips to mine in a fierce kiss.

While he holds my head to his with one hand, the other hand is splayed on the small of my back, keeping me pressed against him.

After a brief moment, I surrender myself fully to the kiss, reaching up to tangle my fingers into his sable hair.

He groans into the kiss, making me grip him all the tighter.

It's his hands working to undoe the clasps and laces of my clothes that make me stop. "Such beauty...." Kili murmurs.

_You don't want to lay with me. Not here. Not now._

Kili's hands still at my hips. He looks confused for a moment, before he removes his hands and gives me one last passionate kiss. "Another time." He whispers and turns to go. I give a small sigh as I watch him go. I feel a little guilty about manipulating him like that, but i'm not sure if i'm ready to bring a man into my bed yet. I redoe all the clasps and ties that he had undone and follow him into the dining room.

 

 

***

 

 

 


	4. Blood in the Snow

_Ziema's P.O.V_

 

As I wander into a more quiet part of the smial, the noise of the dwarves fades away.

I take a deep breath, relishing in this change.

I open the door to an old room, and find Bilbo's old pianoforte still there.

I pause before I enter the room and take a seat on the bench.

I tap a couple of keys to test the sound, and then I begin to play. It's one of the oldest songs I can remember, one my mother sung long ago. Once I get the music going, I begin to sing.

 

 

_Dancing bears,_

_Painted wings_

_Things I almost remember._

_And a song,_

_Someone sings,_

_Once upon a December._

 

_Someone holds me, safe and warm,_

_Horses prance through a silver storm._

_Figures dancing gracefully,_

_Across my memory._

 

_Someone holds me, safe and warm._

_Horses prance through a silver storm._

_Figures dancing gracefully,_

_Across my memory._

_Far away, long ago,_

_Glowing dim as an ember._

_Things my heart used to know,_

_Things it yearns to remember._

_And a song,_

_Someone sings,_

_Once upon a December._

I sit in silence for a long moment, hearing nothing but the sound of my own breathing and heartbeat.

"Such a sad song for one so beautiful." I snap my head around to find Fili standing in the doorway.

I expect to see mischief or teasing in his eyes, but when I look into those clear, blue depths, I see nothing of the kind. Only an honest, sincere concern. He walks over to sit beside me, then gently turns my head to face his. "What is it that has such a blackened weight over your heart?" He tilt's my head up so he can look me in the eye. What I see there is almost too much, and I turn my gaze away again.

"I....I can't say." I tell him.

He brushes a lock of hair away from my face and asks. "Why can't you say?"

I swallow and shake my head.

He takes my hands in his and asks. "What is your name?"

"Ziema." I reply.

"Ziema," He continues, "Even though we met only very recently, I feel like there is a spark that has been ignited inside me. I want to be with you. I want to help you, but to do that, I need to know what troubles to so. Please. You can trust me." I look up at him and ask. "You swear you will keep it a secret?" He nods. I give a sharp sigh and say. "Let's just say...there  are things that happened that will never leave me."

I lift up the side of my shirt just enough to reveal the mottled pink scars that stripe my waist.

Fili stares at the scars until I put my shirt back down.

He stares at me for a long while, and I can tell he has more questions, but I thank the skies when he doesn't pry any further. He scoots closer to me and places a hand on my cheek. "Ziema....have you ever...been with a man before?"

I shake my head. "A few have tried. None succeeded."

"I shall swear by whatever you like when I say that I will never let anyone touch you again." He says.

"Fili-"

"Let me finish." He requests. "Ziema, I want to make you happy. I want you to know what it's like to be with a lover who truely cares about you....Will you let me do that? Will you let me love you?" My face is cupped in his hands now. We steadily lean in closer, our gazes locked. It's not long before our lips lock and we kiss. He's so gentle, so passionate, as if he's afraid he'll break me.

His hands move from my face to my body, pulling me into his lap to deepen the kiss.

We stop after a long while, resting our foreheads together, gazing into each other's eyes again.

After a moment, we hug, and I bury my face in his hair, inhaling the scents of metal and the wilderness.

"Come. Come get something to eat." Fili murmurs in my ear. We break the hug and I nod.

 

 

***

 

 

  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who don't know, the song is 'Once upon a December' from the Disney movie Anastasia.


	5. Melt the Ice

_Ziema's P.O.V_

 

In my first glimpse of Thorin, I can't help noticing he carries himself much in the same way Santon did. Confident, arrogant, fearless. I can't help curling my lips in a sneer. "Bilbo Baggins," Gandalf says, "allow me to introduce the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield."

 _Well, that explains the branch at his belt._ I think, glancing down at the piece of wood.

"So, this is the hobbit." Thorin comments, sounding thoroughly unimpressed. He circles the hobbit, looking him over, sizing him up. "Tell me, Master Baggins, have you done much fighting?" He asks.

"Pardon me?" Bilbo inquires.

"Axe or sword?" Thorin continues. "What's your weapon of choice?"

"Well, I do have some skill at Conkers," Bilbo says, doing a very poor imitation of Thorin's confidence, "but I fail to see...why that's relevant."

"Thought as much." Thorin sighs. He glances at his kinsmen as he says. "He looks more like a grocer than a burglar."

My sneer only curls tighter at that comment.

All the dwarves laugh, and follow Thorin as he leads the way into the dining room. Oh, yes, I am going to make him pay for that. After a few moments, Jua and I follow, with Bilbo and Gandalf right behind us. As the dwarves all sit around the table, Dwalin brings Thorin a bowl of soup and a tankard of ale. "What news from the meeting in Ered Luin?" Balin asks. "Did they all come?"

"Aye, envoys from all seven kingdoms." Thorin replies.

"And what do the dwarves of the Iron Hills say?" Dwalin inquires. "Is Dain with us?" Thorin is silent for a moment, before he sighs and says. "They will not come. They say this quest is ours, and ours alone." All the dwarves sigh and grumble at this news.

"You're...going on a quest?" Bilbo pipes up.

Everyone glances at him, and Gandalf says. "Bilbo, my dear fellow, let us have a little more light."

As Bilbo goes to fetch another candle, Gandalf stands up  and pulls out a folded piece of parchment from somewhere in his robes. As he unfolds it and sets it on the table, he says. "Far to the east, over ranges and rivers, beyond woodlands and waist lands, lies a single solitary peak." Bilbo leans in close with his extra candle and says slowly. "The Lon-ely Mountain."

"Aye." Says Gloin. "Oin has read the portence, and the portence say it is time." Several of the dwarves groan and sigh, suggesting that the old healer had said this many times. Right on cue, Oin says. "Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain, as it was foretold. 'When the birds of yore, return to Erebor, the reign of the beast will end.'" Jua and I share a glance at this. At the same time, Bilbo asks. "Um...what beast?"

"Oh, that would be a reference to Smaug the Terrible, chiefest and greatest calamity of our age. Air-born fire-breather, teeth like razors, claws like meat-hooks, extremely fond of precious metals-"

"Yes, I know what a dragon is." Bilbo interrupts tersely.

Suddenly, Ori jumps to his feet and proclaims. "I'm not afraid! I'm up for it! I'll give him a taste of dwarvish iron right up his jacksie!" This earns the youngster cheers from most of the company-except for Dori, who yanks him back into his seat, growling. "Sit down!"

"The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us." States Balin. "But we number just thirteen-and not thirteen of the best, nor brightest." This spurs another round of arguing amongst the dwarves. I can't help rolling my eyes listening to them. The arguing stops when Fili slaps the table and declares. "We may be few in numbers, but we're fighters, all of us, to the last dwarf!"

"And you forget," Kili backs up his brother, "we have a _wizard_ in our company! Gandalf will have killed  _hundreds_ of dragons in his time!" 

As Gandalf starts to protest, Dori asks. "How many then? How many dragons have you killed?" The room is silent for a moment as everyone looks at Gandalf. I can't help chuckling as the old wizard proceeds to choke on the smoke of his pipe. "Well, go on!" Exclaims Dori. "Give us a number!" This results in yet another round of thunderous arguing amongst the men. This time, i'm not even able to distinguish what they're arguing about. This goes on for a few moments before Thorin rises to his feet, roaring something in in what I presume to be the dwarvish tongue.

The noise cuts off immediately, and everyone sits back down.

"If we have read these signs, do you not think others will have read them too?" Thorin starts. "Eyes look east to the mountain, assessing, wondering, weighing the risk. Perhaps the vast wealth of our people now lies unprotected. Do we sit back, while others claim what is rightfully ours? Or do we seize this chance to TAKE BACK EREBOR!?" The dwarves cheer at their leader's speech, all the while, Thorin pumps his fist in the air, shouting phrases in the dwarvish tongue. "You forget, the front gate is sealed!" Balin shouts above the noise, and the room goes quiet once more.

"There is no way into the mountain." The old dwarf states glumly.

"That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true." Gandalf says, and from somewhere in his robes, he produces a large, ornate key. Everyone stares in wonder at the key, none more so than Thorin. "How came you by this?" He asks in a hushed voice.

"It was given to me by your father." Gandalf explains. "By Thrain, for sake-keeping. It is yours now." Everyone watches in silence as Gandalf hands Thorin the key. As he tucks it away, Fili says. "If there is a key...there must be a door." I can't help rolling my eyes at him.

"These runes speak of a hidden passage to the lower halls." States Gandalf, pointing to a particular spot on the map with the tip of his pipe.

"There's another way in." Kili murmurs excitedly, clapping his brother on the shoulder and looking extremely pleased with himself.

"Well, if we can find it, but dwarf doors are invisible when closed." Gandalf ads. "The answer lies hidden somewhere in this map, and I do not have the skill to find it, but, there are others in middle earth who can." I frown at that, wondering who Gandalf could be talking about. And i'm not the only one. All the dwarves start murmuring amongst themselves in curiosity.

"The task I have in mind will require a great deal of stealth, and no small amount of courage." The old wizard continues. "But, if we are careful, and clever, I believe that it can be done."

"That's why we need a burglar!" Ori pips up.

"Hm, a good one too." Bilbo observes. "An expert, i'd imagine."

"And are you?" Gloin inquires. There's a moment of silence as Bilbo looks back and forth, before he asks. "Am I what?"

Deaf-as-a-fence-post Oin misunderstands the hobbit, and laughs as he exclaims. "He said he's an expert!"

"Me?" Bilbo counters. "No, no, no, no! I'm not a burglar. I've never stolen a thing in my life!"

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Master Baggins." Balin adds in. "He's hardly burglar material."

"Aye," Dwalin backs up his brother, "the Wild is no place for gentle folk who can neither fight, nor fend for themselves." This results in yet more arguing, half of the dwarves agreeing with Dwalin, and the other half trying to defend Bilbo. The argument rises and rises, until Gandalf leaps from his chair. The entire room becomes dark with shadow as he bellows. "Enough! If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is." The shadows retreat as Gandalf sits back down in his seat, and everyone else relaxes as his brief rage subsides. 

It's now that I decide to make mine and Jua's presences known. I've been observing the dwarves closely. Watching how they act, how they speak to each other, how they convene. I've gotten a pretty good idea of what we would need to do, and so, I take Jua's arm and step forward. "You underestimate yourself Bilbo." I say, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. I notice even the stoic-faced dwarf leader looks surprised by our sudden appearance. I lean in close to Jua and breathe in her ear. "Just play along." She gives a barely perceptible nod, and I return to the business at hand.

"Who are you?" Thorin asks in a hushed voice.

Gandalf smiles, and I briefly wonder what the old bastard is thinking. "Thorin, allow me to introduce Bilbo Baggins' daughters, Ziema, and Jua."

Thorin looks at us skeptically. "You're hobbit children?"

"In blood, no." Jua answers. "In heart, yes."

 "Bilbo is like family to us." I explain to him. "And so, where he goes, so do we."

The dwarves all scoff at this. "But you're-" Dwalin starts

"Women?" I interrupt. "How very observant of you."

"And what would you have to offer us?" Thorin asks. "We already have a cook." His kinsmen snicker at the comment.

"Now you insult us, master dwarf." Jua comments, and we both lean against the wall, pretending to look offended.

"He didn't mean anything by it, lass." Balin says, doing his best to try to keep this civilized.

"Bilbo has been our family for the past nineteen years. It is out of the question. We. Stay. Together." I insist.

"That is very honorable of you, my lady," Thorin says, "but-"

"My lord, you will find that we are more than capable of looking after ourselves." I continue. "We have trained for years in the use of weapons. Our keen senses can serve to keep watch for any form of danger. We also have a basic medical knowledge, so we may help tend to any minor injuries or illnesses you may have." I can still see some skeptical looks, so I decide to give it one last nudge.

I look Thorin in the eyes.

_We can come. You want us to come. You want our help._

Thorin's mind is a bit trickier to manipulate than others I had done before. It is difficult to grasp, like trying to reach out and grab at a thorny bush. But, after a few moments, I manage to do it. Thorin looks confused for a moment, before his expression returns to normal. "Very well." He murmurs. He turns to face Balin and says. "Give them the contract."

Some of the company are eager to get the journey underway, while others question Thorin's decision to allow Bilbo, Jua and I to come along. Balin rises from his chair, and pulls out a folded piece of parchment from his cloak. "One moment." He says. He takes out a quill and scribbles something down. "It's just the usual." He explains. "Summary of out-of-pocket expenses, time required, remuneration...funeral arrangements, so forth."

"Funeral arrangements?" Bilbo squeaks as Thorin thrusts the contract at him.

Jua and I follow Bilbo as he steps away to read the contract. As the three of us look it over, I hear Thorin whisper to Gandalf. "I cannot guarantee their safety."

"Understood." Gandalf replies.

"Nor will I be responsible for their fate." Thorin adds. There's a moment of silence before Gandalf murmurs. "Agreed."

"'Terms, cash on delivery, up to but not exceeding one-fifteenth of total profit, if any.'" Bilbo mutters. "Seems fair...'present company shall not be liable for injuries sustained by or as a consequence thereof, including, but not limited to...lacerations...evisceration?" He unfolds part of the contract, and his face turns ghostly white. " _incineration?"_

"Oh, aye." Bofur replies. "He'll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye."

Bilbo sighs and looks away as his face turns a sickly greenish color. "Bilbo?" Jua says.

"You alright, laddie?" Balin asks.

"Huh?" Bilbo gasps. "Yeah, yeah, I feel...feel a bit feint."

"Think furnace with wings." Bofur continues.

"That'll do, Bofur." Jua says as we both put hands on Bilbo's shoulders.

"Air, I-I-I need air." Bilbo stutters.

"Flash of light, searing pain," Bofur keeps going, "and _poof!_ You're nothing more than a pile of ash!"

 Bilbo stands up straight, attempting to compose himself, when he simply says. "Nope." and collapses. Jua and I manage to catch him before he hits the floor. Together, we lift him up and carry him to the sitting room, placing him in his arm chair. Once he wakes up, Jua runs to get him a cup of herbal tea. "I'll be alright." He assures us. "Just let me sit quietly for a moment."

Once we're sure Bilbo is alright, Jua and I relent and let him sip his tea in peace.

As we walk off with the contract, we begin reading it a little more thoroughly. When we finally hunt down a quill and ink, we are bombarded once again by the two princes. "If you are not hobbits, how did you come to be with Master Baggins?" Kili asks, poking me in the shoulder until I swipe his hand away.

"Bilbo took us in when we were children." I tell them as we both sign the contract. "There's nothing more to know."

The look on Fili's face tells me that he suspects there's something more to the story, but he doesn't press the issue any further. The conversation is abruptly ended when Bilbo goes marching past us down the hall. "Bilbo?" Jua says, making him stop in his tracks. "What is it?" Bilbo turns back to us with a determined look on his face and says. "I'm not going, girls."

"What?" Jua and I exclaim at once.

"I can't do something like this." Bilbo tells us. "I'm not cut out for this sort of thing."

"How do you know that?" I ask him. "You have never done something like this, so how would you know if you can or not?"

"Bilbo...we don't want to do this without you." Jua adds.

He pats each of us on the shoulder and says. "I'm sorry." With that, he turns away and continues on to his bedroom. After a few moments, Jua and I look to each other. She looks just as despondent as I feel.

"What do we do now?" Jua asks.

"I don't know." I murmur. "We'll...we'll think of something."


End file.
